Stand out from other Graduates when securing a role.

With over 300,000 students in the UK finishing their exams and awaiting their results, it won’t be long before graduation photos will be appearing across all social media channels. All the hard work, (and dare we mention the debt) will all be worth it. With so many graduates on the hunt to starting their career path, many may struggle to find graduate level work, as supply doesn’t quite match up to demand. According to the Guardians annual survey, a number of employers couldn’t fill all their university leaver vacancies due to a ‘Skills Gap’.
What employers are looking for from candidates will depend on the industry in which they operate in and the role in which they are recruiting for. Candidates may need to have experience, a specific degree, or technical knowledge to even be considered for a role, whilst others maybe looking for a candidate that they can mould, nurture and grow on an extensive training programme. It is important to remember that the recruitment process costs the employer, and they therefore don’t like rejecting candidates, and know that there will be a certain amount of training involved at the start, but just be mindful that some employers will offer more training than others.
So how can you make sure that your CV stands out from the crowd? Here are a few handy tips on how you can bridge the skill gap many employers are looking for:
Good Spelling and Grammar
A recent survey carried out by GSM London and YouGov found that 87% of employers found incorrect spelling and use of grammar the biggest frustration on a CV, with the second being incorrect reference details. Proof reading and giving to a friend or relative to check over could never be more important.
Don’t be like everyone else.
You may be a good team player and have exceptional attention to detail, but these will not help you to stand out from the crowd. Achieving a long term goal such a triathlon, or climbing Ben Nevis will show off your admirable efforts and dedication. Volunteering efforts will show an employers that you have a discipline that outweighs financial gain, and could be what secures you an interview or role over another candidate.
Gain Work Experience
From working in an office on a part time basis to waitressing in a restaurant to help you though your studies, employers will value the experience within a working environment. Different skills will be gained from different roles, so as long as you can demonstrate what you have learnt from them, you will be showing the employer that you have the skills or the potential to develop into their ideal candidate.
Understanding the business:
Researching the company goes without saying when you are preparing for an interview, but it pays to find out more about the company and what they do. Understanding what drives the business will aid you in tailoring a covering letter to the employer or your opening CV statement if you choose to have one. Tailoring as much as you can to the company could be what persuades the employer to invest in you, so task a little more time and research outside the company website – Press releases, journals and news stories are a good starting point for this.

When you first start applying for roles, it can be very easy to fall into some bad habits – we have all been there. When it comes to looking it maybe worth thinking about the following things:
Try not to apply for every job
Not only can this be disheartening when you are not selected for an interview, it can also be a waste of your time. It’s best to focus on roles that fit with your skills and qualifications,

Stay open minded over certain roles
Like finding the perfect house, there will always be something that isn’t quite what you are looking for. This is the same when job hunting, so it is best to try and keep an open minded if there are roles that may require more of a commute than you would like, or aren’t quite the job title that you were looking for.
Widen your job search with Zenopa
Online searching is easy as it can be done at anytime, anywhere, but it’s also good to widen your search wings a little.  Specialist recruitment agencies will already have relationships in place with businesses and will have exclusive roles which may not be advertised online, and local newspapers are still not to be discounted.
Your online presence
Employers that are interested in a candidate will conduct online research. Having a LinkedIn Profile showcasing your work history is worth having, but be aware of what Is posted on social sites such as Facebook and twitter. Unless the correct privacy settings are applied to social sites, your potential employers may stumble across this also, and may not like what they see.

Zenopa works with leading companies to help candidates get better job opportunities within the Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices, Animal Health, Laboratory, Life Science, Physics, Chemistry, Healthcare Communications, Consumer Health, Service Engineering and Dental markets, who have graduate openings. If you would like to find out more about the opportunities that we have available, send us a message, call us on +44 (0)1494 818000 or email enquiries@zenopa.com